Top public servant calls it quits

THE boss of the NSW police ministry is retiring more than 15 years after being appointed.

Les Tree, the CEO of the Ministry for Police and Emergency Services, will leave in April and candidates for a replacement are now being considered.

Mr Tree, who has never conducted a media interview, was appointed in March 1997, after serving in a number of senior bureaucratic government positions.

Colleagues described him as a "traditional" and "invaluable" public servant, with a formidable level of corporate knowledge about the police force.

Police Minister Michael Gallacher described him as an "asset" and a committed public servant.

"Les has dedicated his working life to providing frank and fearless advice to governments of all persuasions," Mr Gallacher said.

"He has overseen the implementation of government responses to some of the most significant threats to our state's security and major natural disasters."

It's understood that Mr Tree, who politely declined to comment, is now being considered for a consultancy position once his departure takes effect. He has worked with three different police commissioners - Peter Ryan, Ken Moroney and Andrew Scipione.

Mr Scipione, who is currently on leave, is strongly rumoured to be considering his own retirement this year. His contract ends in 2015.

A number of possible candidates to take over at the police ministry have already been put forward.

It is understood that former police assistant commissioner Peter Parsons, who recently led a wide-ranging audit into police resources, is among those being considered. Others include assistant director-general of the Attorney-General's department Brendan Thomas.

Mr Tree has long-been rumoured to wield a considerable amount of power over the operations of the NSW Police Force, a point which has caused tension with some officers.

One former police minister, who asked to remain anonymous, said Mr Tree was particularly valuable because he knew which officers hated each other and what agendas they were pushing.

The former minister said Mr Tree was a consummate diplomate who manoeuvred between the force's hierarchy and government

"The police force is culturally independent of the government, it sees itself as independent. Les was the filter - he was an expert at smoothing things through and he knew where the bodies were."